Missouri was still reeling in the aftermath of the suicide of State Auditor and Gubernatorial candidate Tom Schweich when more bad news struck: Schweich’s media director, Robert “Spence” Jackson, took his own life.
In the weeks since Schweich’s death, Jackson had vocally challenged Schweich’s political adversaries, some of whom had been accused of engaging in a whisper campaign against him. Jackson had gone as far as to demand the resignation of the Missouri GOP Chairman, John Hancock.
His family heard from him on Friday evening, and by Sunday, his mother called police to ask them to check on him. They found him dead on Sunday evening.
Jefferson City police say that they are investigating the death as a suicide, claiming that they found no signs of foul play but did find a revolver, a spent cartridge and a note. They have not released the contents of the note or the location of the gunshot wound. Although the initial report suggests that he died early in the weekend, a final report is pending autopsy results.
Missouri Republicans, though stunned, reached out today to praise the work Jackson had done for the party in the past. Schweich’s gubernatorial adversary, Catherine Hanaway, spoke highly of him, as did his former employer Matt Blunt.https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/spence-jackson-spokesman-for-the-late-tom-schweich-found-dead/article_81520750-f9cd-560c-8ecd-78163eeed778.html
